1. Field
The subject invention is in the field of calibrated containers such as measuring cups, the field of vessels having spouts, such as teapots and watering cans and the field of delivery passages such as funnels and troughs. For purposes of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified the term delivery element includes spouts, troughs and channels. More specifically, it is in the field of calibrated vessels having delivery elements.
2. Prior Art
There is much prior art in these general and specific fields, much of it not patented. The prior art known to the inventor of the subject invention and closest to the subject invention includes measuring cups having handles and small vessels having both handles and spouts such as vessels used for watering plants. None of the known vessels of these types is well adapted to measuring and dispensing granular material such as gravel and birdseed. Vessels used for dispensing birdseed are dipped into the seeds to fill the vessel, preferably using a handle on the vessel. This preferred filling technique is more difficult or possibly not feasible with vessels having a delivery element which facilitates delivering the seeds accurately and/or to relatively inaccessible places. Such a delivery element is a relatively long (compared to the dimensions of the vessel) and narrow spout or open channel. Accordingly, the prime objective of the subject invention is to provide a calibrated vessel which has a relatively long delivery element and can be easily filled by dipping it into the material or liquid to be measured and delivered. Other objectives are that the vessel be such that the level of contents is easily discernible and that the vessel be economically manufacturable.